DRIVING FORCE
Hogg is happy to trade try heroics for team role as he laughs off criticism
It’s not all about tries. You need to play with maturity
THE electricity in the air, that sense of anticipation, when Stuart Hogg takes possession remains palpable. The stats, too, suggest that Scotland’s most potent attacking weapon is still making the opposition suffer when he has ball in hand.
And yet, the full-back insists some observers may look at his performances over the current Six Nations campaign and claim he is ‘having a stinker’.
Who these people are remains something of a mystery. Just who would look at the 368 metres made in four matches — the Championship leader, in that respect — and think Hogg has not made an impact?
Need more evidence? When it comes to carries (53) and offloads (six), he’s in the Championship’s top three. There’s little doubt Gregor Townsend is still getting plenty of bang for his buck when it comes to the 25-year-old.
So why does Hogg feel he may be coming under the critics’ microscope? The reason would appear to be tries, or his lack thereof in this year’s tournament.
As of yet, there has been no trademark lung-bursting, try-scoring runs from deep, like the one from 40 metres out against Italy at Murrayfield in 2013. Or his 2016 effort from his own half against Ireland in Dublin.
There’s little doubt, of course, that he still has it in his locker — and only a fool would bet against him touching down as he wins his 60th cap when Scotland visit Rome on Saturday. He has not drawn a blank in a Six Nations since his debut in 2012.
But, by way of explanation, Hogg points to how his game has matured, that he picks the right option more often than not.
‘Me trying to keep the ball in play as much as I can is all well and good, but the boys up front might be knackered, so it’s sometimes about getting the carrot in front of the donkey with a clever kicking game,’ said the Glasgow Warriors star. ‘It is about being mature.
‘I’ve maybe not made the breaks that everyone’s used to, so people say I’m having a stinker.
‘I am fairly happy with the way I’m playing, though, and I’ve done what I have to do in the games.
‘I think you can see that bit of a change in my performance in terms of if I have not had the ball for a while and they kick to me.
‘It is not me now trying to get an absolute belter of a line-break or a try. It is doing the correct thing for the team. That is something I’ve learned over the last few years, that there is a time and a place for everything.
‘If I see a chance to attack, then I am going to take it. But, if it isn’t on, then I am experienced enough now to realise that I just need to kick the leather off the ball and get it in front of our forwards.
I need to keep them happy because if I get caught at the back — jeez, it can be nasty.
‘Obviously, I would love to be making these clean breaks but Huw Jones seems to be stealing them all off me!’
The last point, although said in jest, is a salient one. Jones’ emergence has taken some of the pressure in terms of creating attacks off of Hogg.
The Scotland centre is in the Championship’s top four when it comes to defenders beaten (11) and line-breaks (seven). He’s also the leading try scorer for Townsend’s side with three.
‘In attack, I am loving how things are going,’ enthused Hogg. ‘The boys are playing incredibly well and Gregor is very much attack-focused.
‘We analyse teams and you will see we try to get our fast guys on the ball and try to give them time and space.
‘We know we are more than capable of going to Rome and getting a good victory. We also know we are more than capable of scoring tries and getting good points on the board. This team has a winning mentality. End of.’
Hogg remains a key part of that. But he has also been given the extra responsibility in the last two matches of taking the kicks to touch, helping in turn to take some pressure off Finn Russell, who had been misfiring against Wales and France.
‘Taking over the kicking duties gets me even more involved in the game,’ said Hogg. ‘The kicking game is a real strength of mine, so I want to put myself forward to help out the team in that role.’
Another who is topping a stats table is Jonny Gray, the second row currently the leading tackler in the Six Nations with a remarkable tally of 80 hits from four games.
It’s the line-out, however, where improvement is required, with the Scots losing four of their own set-pieces against Ireland.
‘The line-out problem is something we have addressed,’ said Gray. ‘It’s not just one or two people, the thrower or jumper. It is the whole thing.
‘Everyone has been held accountable and we have looked at things to tidy up. It is just small details we need to improve.
‘In the line-out, something that might not seem much actually makes a big difference.
‘We spoke about various things regarding ourselves and Italy. It’s vital we get things right in Rome.’